A$AP Rocky Not Guilty in Los Angeles Assault Trial

The verdict in A$AP Rocky‘s assault trial was just announced — Rocky has been found not guilty.

Rocky’s partner and mother of his two sons, Rihanna, was sobbing, and gave Rocky’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, a big hug. As the jurors exited one by one, Rocky said to them … “Thank you for saving my life.”

The Los Angeles jury began deliberations Tuesday morning after closing arguments were completed Friday afternoon … the rapper was charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, and Rocky would have faced a possible 24-year prison sentence if he were found guilty.

A$AP Rocky — legal name Rakim Mayers — was arrested in 2022, accused of firing a gun at former associate and friend A$AP Relli outside a hotel in Hollywood in 2021. Rocky turned down a plea deal from prosecutors last month.

Rocky’s defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, maintained his client could not have shot Relli — legal name Terell Ephron — because Rocky only carried a prop gun with him at the time. Relli testified his knuckles were scraped by a bullet.

Relli’s testimony got heated at times … with fireworks popping off between himself and Tacopina.

Rocky chose not to testify … though his voice was heard in court when he yelled at his pal A$AP Twelvyy “Don’t say!!!” when prosecutors asked him on the stand what “AWGE” stands for. AWGE is the name of Rocky’s creative agency with “Fight Club”-level secrecy rules attached to it.

Rihanna played a background role in the proceedings — prospective jurors were asked during the selection process whether they’d heard of A$AP or Rihanna, listened to their music, or downloaded any of their songs. A jury of seven women and five men were selected … none of them Black.